


Friendly Ghost

by svetlanacat4



Category: Man From U.N.C.L.E.
Genre: Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-16
Updated: 2012-12-16
Packaged: 2017-11-21 07:10:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 804
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/594919
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/svetlanacat4/pseuds/svetlanacat4
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It was about the stability of matter in quantum mechanics. Then Schrödinger's cat purred at Casper.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Friendly Ghost

He had a very precise vision of his future... But at the very moment, he was out of patience. Couldn't they hurry? And the skinny guy sitting next to him didn't help. He was young but probably older than he looked. Surely. He was silent. And “silent” was an understatement. He had just looked up, nodded at the new comer. Then, he had buried himself in some reading, hiding behind the long blond hair. Too long. And silent. 

He gave up. “Are you nervous ...?” He held back “boy”. The young guy turned to him, with an inquiring gaze.

“I beg your pardon, sir?”

“Sir”? What the hell...? There was the hint of an accent, vague... The words were polite... “Sir”... The tone was courteous. Though, icy blue eyes, slightly frowning eyebrows said “You're really boring...” This guy, actually, was infuriating. 

“Mr Kuryakin? If you please?”

The guy followed the secretary – she eyed him greedily. Ridiculous! - leaving his book on the chair. Kurya... What ? He frowned. That... That sounded Russian. A Russian ? He shook his head in disbelief. No. Impossible. Unthinkable. A Russian...

He couldn't help peeping at the book as if it was a venomous spider or ... A bomb? He hesitated. Well, they wouldn't blame an Uncle agent... an Uncle agent-to-be... for being... cautious...

He looked around and eventually picked up the book. Oh, the show-off! The damned little show-off! It was a mouthful of a title... _The Stability of Matter in Quantum Mechanics._.. Yeah, right!

A malicious idea occurred to him. Kury... something was a Russian and surely not an Uncle agent. He wouldn't ever see him again... He got out of his pocket the gift he bought for his niece, and tore the two covers. He carefully swapped them and put back, innocently, the Russian's book on the chair. He felt... better. He felt... satisfied. Poetic justice. Unfortunately, he wouldn't enjoy the man's face...

The door opened again. He hurried and join the secretary, almost bumping into the Russian. Good riddance, Casper!

***

Napoleon Solo ran leisurely his fingers along the books. Illya's books... He raised an eyebrow as he noticed that one of them looked like to be torn... His friend treasured his books and took good care of them. Napoleon sighed as he read the title. _The Stability of Matter in Quantum Mechanics._ Of course, Quantum Mechanics... Then, he leafed through the pages. He gulped. Oh, the show-off! The true little show-off! He rushed towards the bathroom and entered, waving the corpus delicti.

“I knew... I knew it! All those years... You lied!”

Illya Kuryakin switched off the hair drier, shook his hair and raised an eyebrow... His partner was waving a book under his nose.

“For years, we admired you. Our brainy Russian! My so clever partner! Your Quantum Mechanics Ph. D.? Your Schrödinger cat theory?” Napoleon smirked. “Poppycock, my Russian friend! No more pretending, now. You're just a ... Casper addict! We thought you were going home at night, studying your Quantum Mechanics... But no. You go to the movie theater...”

Illya's amazed face ! Napoleon chuckled. He almost cried laughing. And he stopped.

No embarrassment. No anger. Something like ... nostalgia. The Russian took hold of the book, and opened it.

“Illya, honestly... _Casper, the friendly ghost_! Tovarish...” he grinned, “Well, Uncle ladies were looking for your Christmas gift...”

He paused again, waiting for a reaction. None. Illya quietly held out the book back to him and headed towards the living room.

“Don't be ashamed, my friend. You like Casper... Well, you like it. An Uncle agent can rightly like cartoon characters... Some like Schrödinger's cat, some like Casper...” 

Illya brushed his hair aside. “I am not ashamed, Napoleon.” He sighed, “This book... is a memory.”

“A... memory?”

This nostalgic little smile... Napoleon was puzzled. 

“A good memory, Napoleon.”

“A ... good memory? This book?”

Illya put his hand on his friend's arm. “A ... gift, Napoleon.” He smiled again. “The first gift I have been given... here. I just left the USSR...” He paused for a few seconds, the smile fading. “Casper looks for friends... and people run away from him... because they're afraid.” The smile was back. “Eventually, Casper manages to get some friends, anyway...”

***

As they were leaving the apartment, Napoleon Solo grabbed his friend's shoulder.

“ You talked about a gift? Your first gift, here? Who...?”

Illya Kuryakin grinned. “Eventually... There is something about me that the Great Napoleon Solo is ignorant of?” He chuckled. “That's reassuring...”

Though he knew that he falling into his partner's trap, Napoleon couldn't help. “Was ... she... a close friend?”

Innocent blue eyes... 

“Let's say... It was a chance encounter. A fleeting passion.” Innocent half smile. “A ... tearing passion.”

Napoleon frowned. “You mean... Searing?”

“No, my friend, no... a tearing one...”

“Illya...”

“But later, like Casper, I managed to get a very good friend, eventually...”

  
  



End file.
